AGS JH23

AGS JH23

The AGS JH23 was a Formula 1 racing car from the Provençal team Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives (AGS), which was used in the 1988 Formula 1 season . Apart from the short-lived JH27 , it was the last Formula 1 car that Christian Vanderpleyn designed for AGS. In 1989 the car appeared in a number of races under the designation JH23B . Both versions rarely finished; in the second year, however, the team was able to score a world championship point with the JH23B. Philippe Streiff had a serious accident in March 1989 during test drives in a JH23B.

technology

Christian Vanderpleyn designed the JH23 in autumn 1988; At the beginning of 1989 the first car was built under his direction. Vanderpleyn looked after the team until August 1988; then, after more than thirty years with the company, he moved to Coloni together with a few mechanics . His successors at AGS were Christophe Coquet and Claude Galopin , who came from Martini and the Équipe Ligier , respectively.

With the JH23, AGS broke away from the outdated Renault structures that had shaped the previous models JH21C and JH22 . The monocoque , suspension and power transmission had been completely redesigned and followed contemporary lines. Some sources report that Vanderpleyn did not take over any part from the old cars for the JH23; others believe that the rear stub axles are still due to the Renault RE60 .

With a wheelbase of 2680 mm, the JH23 was the most compact car in the field alongside the Minardi M188 . However, the JH23 was a heavy car: At the start of the season, it was over 25 kilograms.

The aerodynamics had been redesigned and was considered "effective" by observers. Due to the lack of an air scoop, the JH23 also looked very low; the roll bar protruded far beyond the engine cover. The roll bar should prove problematic later. It consisted of metal pipes and was not directly connected to the monocoque; rather, it was merely welded on afterwards. This form of attachment restricted its load capacity. When Streiff had an accident with the JH23B during test drives in Rio de Janeiro in March 1989 , the roll bar broke off after a rollover and could not safely protect Streiff's head from injury.

The original version of the JH23 (1988) was powered by a Cosworth DFZ eight-cylinder engine; In 1989 the team nominally switched to more powerful DFR engines; However, some sources assume that the DFZ engines from the previous year were actually still used in the JH23B. In both years the engines were prepared by Heini Mader Racing Components in Switzerland.

According to Streiff, the JH23 had considerable development potential. The handling of the car was better than that of its predecessors. However, given a very limited budget, AGS could only afford little development work: Although there were occasional new rear and front wings or underbodies, the team did not make any fundamental design changes in the course of the 1988 season.

AGS produced three copies in 1988 (chassis numbers 034, 035 and 036). Vehicle number 034 was used in the first three races of the year, vehicle number 035 was used from the Mexican Grand Prix to the Belgian Grand Prix , and vehicle number 036 was used in the last five races of the year. One of the three vehicles was irreparably destroyed in Streiff's accident; the remaining two copies were used until the summer of 1989.

Races

1988

AGS JH23 in 1988 livery

In 1988 AGS only used one car. Philippe Streiff was the driver of all the Grand Prix. In all 16 races he succeeded in qualifying; Starting places among the first 20 were the rule. Streiff achieved the best qualifying result at the Canadian Grand Prix , where he took 10th place on the grid, 3.2 seconds behind Ayrton Senna's pole time in a McLaren, ahead of Riccardo Patrese's Williams . In the following race in Detroit he started the race in eleventh place and in Monaco in twelfth place. However, these qualifications could not be converted into countable results. Streiff was only able to finish five races, with eighth place at the Japanese Grand Prix being the best result. Many of the eleven failures were due to technical defects: the suspension broke several times, in Great Britain the rear wing fell off during the race. AGS also lost positions in the points, for example in Canada: Here Streiff was in fifth place when the suspension broke. The team ended the 1988 season with no world championship points.

1989

Accident in March 1989 with the AGS JH23B: Philippe Streiff

In 1989 AGS competed with two drivers for the first time. A new car was planned for the team's fourth season. In view of scarce resources, however, the completion of the JH24 designed by Claude Galopin was delayed until the summer of 1989. Until then, the team had therefore been using the JH23, which had been further developed into the B model. The drivers were Gabriele Tarquini , who replaced the crashed Streiff from the second race of the season, and Joachim Winkelhock . The German Formula 1 debutant was subject to the pre-qualification, in which he failed in all seven races he competed in. Tarquini, on the other hand, was exempt from pre-qualification and could take part in every race up to the French Grand Prix . He crossed the finish line three times in six attempts and achieved sixth place at the Mexican Grand Prix, the second (and last) world championship point for the French team.

From August 1989 the JH24 replaced the JH23B, initially only for Gabriele Tarquini, later - from the Belgian Grand Prix - also for Yannick Dalmas , who replaced the unsuccessful Winkelhock for the second half of the season. The descent for AGS began with the new model: In 1989 the JH24 could not qualify for any race for which it was registered.

Race results

1988: AGS JH23 - Cosworth DFZ V8

driver	No.	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	rank
1988 Formula 1 season																		0	-
P. Streiff	14th	DNF	10	DNF	12	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	10	DNF	9	DNF	8th	11

Legend
colour	abbreviation	meaning
gold	-	victory
silver	-	2nd place
bronze	-	3rd place
green	-	Placement in the points
blue	-	Classified outside the point ranks
violet	DNF	Race not finished (did not finish)
	NC	not classified
red	DNQ	did not qualify
	DNPQ	failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black	DSQ	disqualified
White	DNS	not at the start (did not start)
	WD	withdrawn
Light Blue	PO	only participated in the training (practiced only)
	TD	Friday test driver
without	DNP	did not participate in the training (did not practice)
	INJ	injured or sick
	EX	excluded
	DNA	did not arrive
	C.	Race canceled
		no participation in the World Cup
other	P / bold	Pole position
	SR / italic	Fastest race lap
	*	not at the finish, but counted due to the distance covered
	()	Streak results
	underlined	Leader in the overall standings

1989: AGS JH23B - Cosworth DFR V8

driver	No.	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	rank
1989 Formula 1 season																		1	15th
G. Tarquini	40		8th	DNF	6th	7th	DNF	DNF
J. Winkelhock	41	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
Yannick Dalmas									DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ

Legend
colour	abbreviation	meaning
gold	-	victory
silver	-	2nd place
bronze	-	3rd place
green	-	Placement in the points
blue	-	Classified outside the point ranks
violet	DNF	Race not finished (did not finish)
	NC	not classified
red	DNQ	did not qualify
	DNPQ	failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black	DSQ	disqualified
White	DNS	not at the start (did not start)
	WD	withdrawn
Light Blue	PO	only participated in the training (practiced only)
	TD	Friday test driver
without	DNP	did not participate in the training (did not practice)
	INJ	injured or sick
	EX	excluded
	DNA	did not arrive
	C.	Race canceled
		no participation in the World Cup
other	P / bold	Pole position
	SR / italic	Fastest race lap
	*	not at the finish, but counted due to the distance covered
	()	Streak results
	underlined	Leader in the overall standings

literature

• Adriano Cimarosti: The Century of Racing. Cars, tracks and pilots. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9 .
• Allan Henry: auto course , yearbook 1988–1989. ISBN 2-85120-308-8 .
• David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars. Crowood Press, Marlborough 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 (English).
• David Hodges: Racing Cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 , p. 116.
• Pierre Ménard: La Grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1st 2nd edition. Chronosports, St. Sulpice 2000, ISBN 2-940125-45-7 (French).

Web links

• Image of a JH23B at the Monaco Grand Prix 1989 (Gabriele Tarquini)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hodges: Racing Cars from AZ after 1945, p. 9.
2. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, issue 14/1988, p. 28.
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Hodges: AZ of Grand Prix Cars 1906-2001, p. 8.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Auto Course 1988/89, p. 58.
5. ↑ Cimarosti: The Century of Racing, p. 392.
6. ↑ Philippe Steiff claimed in October 1988 that the team only had a budget of 2 million Swiss francs available for the entire year. See Motorsport Aktuell, issue 43/1988, p. 27.
7. ↑ The team's limited opportunities were the main reason for Vanderpleyn's decision to move to another team in the summer of 1988. Motorsport Aktuell, issue 40/1988, p. 9.
8. ^ E.g. on the occasion of the Monaco Grand Prix 1988: Auto Course 1988/89, p. 79.
9. ^ At the 1988 Mexican Grand Prix: Auto Course 1988/89, p. 87.
10. ↑ Auto Course 188/89, p. 37.